Infantry gun facts for kids
Infantry guns are special artillery weapons made for infantry (foot soldiers) to use. They usually have short barrels and fire shells that travel at a lower speed. These guns are built to be light, making them easy to move around on the battlefield. Today, very few infantry guns are still used by soldiers. They have mostly been replaced by modern weapons like grenade launchers, light anti-tank weapons, and heavier wire-guided missiles.
Some guns are similar to infantry guns but have specific uses:
- Pack guns are designed to be taken apart into smaller pieces for easier movement.
- Mountain guns are infantry guns made for fighting in mountain areas.
- Airborne guns are built for paratroopers. They are very light and easy to carry compared to larger field guns.
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The Story of Infantry Guns
Infantry guns were actually the very first type of artillery used by armies. They first appeared in China and were later brought to Europe by the Mongol invasions.
Early Designs and Changes
At first, these weapons were simple cast metal barrels. The French called them pots de fer (iron pots), and the Italians called them vasi. These early guns were small and couldn't be moved easily. They fired large bolts or quarrels.
As gun barrels became longer, people needed a way to move them. This led to two main ideas:
- One idea was to make very light hand-held guns, which eventually became the arquebus.
- The other idea was to put the guns on wheeled carriages. Examples of these early wheeled cannons included the 2-pounder Culvern moyane, the 1-pounder Falcon, and the 3/4-pounder Falconet.
Guns on Wheels
These lighter cannons from the Renaissance period led to the development of 3-pounder and 4-pounder regimental guns in the 1600s. A famous example comes from the army of Gustavus Adolphus.
During the 17th century, light field guns were known by many different names, like a drake in England. There were almost 100 different sizes, called calibres. Each size had its own name. For example:
- A 5-pound saker weighed about 1 ton.
- A 4-pound minion weighed about 3/4 ton.
- A 2-pound falcon weighed about 1/4 ton.
- A 1-pound falconet weighed about 200 pounds.
These guns could fire their shots quite far. For instance, a saker could hit a target 360 yards away if fired straight, or over 2,000 yards if fired in an upward arc.
Moving the Cannons
Heavier field and siege guns were often pulled by oxen, sometimes on wagons. However, oxen were too slow to keep up with soldiers on foot. So, horses began to be used to pull the lighter cannons. This led to the creation of the artillery carriage and horse teams, which were used for moving cannons until the late 1800s.
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